Unintended interracial contact on a wide scale is resulting from mandated desegregation in education, industry, government, residential areas and the armed services. Cooperative interaction can be induced in such settings and may have the effect of producing friendly relationships and favorable racial attitudes. The studies in this research program are focused on the variables which enhance or diminish the impact of cooperative interaction. Some studies are done in natural settings. For example, a study has been made of changes in the attitudes of an interracial groups of mothers trained by group centered methods. Other studies are done in laboratory settings. An example is a study of the effect of participation in decision making and of task success or failure on the interpersonal outcomes of cooperative interracial contact.